The Vampire Diaries
Season 8 Episode 4: “An Eternity of Misery”
Directed by Rob Hardy
Written by Brett Matthews & Neil Reynolds
Created by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec
Starring Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Kat Graham, Candice King, Zach Roerig, Matthew Davis, Michael Malarkey
The CW
Air Date: Friday, November 11th, 2016, 8:00pm

Last week on The Vampire Diaries, Sybil (Nathalie Kelley) played a little game – have Bonnie (Kat Graham) choose who should die, Damon or Enzo (Ian Somerhalder, Michael Malarkey). We all knew exactly who Bonnie would choose. Things got a little hairy, as Stefan kept jumping in the middle of the fight, because Damon made him his second. Stefan (Paul Wesley) was determined not to let either of them die. But once the ladies finally showed, Enzo chose Bonnie… by switching off his humanity. Then, predictably, Sybil went back on her word, Bonnie almost died and everyone ran. They did manage to capture Sybil with a giant tuning fork, but she still had Damon doing her bidding, which apparently included killing Tyler Lockwood (Michael Trevino).

Spoilers below.

The Vampire Diaries 8.4 “An Eternity of Misery” review: Damon is on a siren-compelled, murderous, loner road trip of mysterious reasons, looking for a Peter Maxwell (guest star Joel Gretsch). Sybil wants an heirloom from him. Someone burned alive, a stabbing, and a shooting later… we come to find out Peter Maxwell’s son is Matt Donovan (Zach Roerig), the most conflicted character on that show ever.

Meanwhile, Stefan and Alaric (Matthew Davis) learn a bit of Sybil’s story, and that there is a sister who is not trapped in the Armory. Just great. As with all the lore, the sirens have theirs. There is an “original” siren, Cade – a psychic who could compel who was burned alive for his ability. Sybil and her sister both harbored the same ability and were cast out. Unbeknownst to Sybil, her sister was singing sailors to their deaths and then feeding her their flesh, hence the myth. She tried to kill herself, when the sister made a deal with the devil… immortality and beauty as long as they killed evil people.

“Our story is your story, Stefan… which girl are you?”

Sybil is the good sister. Bananas! Intern Georgie is made to be the bad sister. I thought I knew that 10 minutes before the reveal. But no, she’s not…. And Stefan finds this out inside Sybil’s mind, and then she instantly makes him forget.

Damon didn’t kill Tyler? I thought he did. Is this a trick? A trap? Matt gets super angry, which is always helpful. Matt opens the car trunk and… you have to watch!

Sybil has a deal for worthy Stefan (he answered the question correctly).

“You want to save your brother? All you have to do is kill the devil.” No biggie. Put it on the todo list in between brushing your teeth and getting a car wash. But Sybil certainly turned out to be a bit more complex, huh? Somehow The Vampire Diaries figured out a way for us to feel sorry for cannibalistic, love-destroying monster? They always do that!

Someone goes to hell at the end of this episode.

This was one of the more twisty and turny plots of any of the seasons. Any time I was sure I knew something, another things was revealed. It really felt like 10 minutes. I was certainly surprised when it ended. Good job!

Very interestingly, the title of this episode is what Damon promised Stefan when he first came to town way back in the pilot. “I promised you an eternity of misery, brother.”

The Vampire Diaries airs Friday nights at 8:00pm ET on The CW.

The CW’s synopsis:

The Vampire Diaries
An Eternity of Misery (Ep# 804)
A SUPERNATURAL ORIGIN STORY — Tasked with finding a mysterious artifact, Damon’s (Ian Somerhalder) latest mission takes him to Texas where a violent run-in with Peter Maxwell (guest star Joel Gretsch) leads to a surprising revelation. Meanwhile, after gaining the upper hand in their fight to save Damon and Enzo (Michael Malarkey), Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Alaric (Matt Davis) team up and uncover the origins of the mysterious force they’re up against. Finally, Matt (Zach Roerig) returns to the fray after his past and present collide in an unexpected way. Candice King also stars. Rob Hardy directed the episode written by Brett Matthews & Neil Reynolds (#804). Original airdate 11/11/2016.

Videos

The Vampire Diaries | An Eternity of Misery Scene | The CW

The Vampire Diaries | Inside TVD: An Eternity of Misery | The CW